What law 45/2018 is
Law no. 45/2018, known as the Uber law, came into force on 1 November 2018 and created, for the first time, a legal framework for the individual and paid transport of passengers in unmarked vehicles booked through an electronic platform, the activity we call TVDE. It was this law that legalised and regulated how platforms such as Uber and Bolt operate in Portugal, defining three figures: the electronic platform manager, the TVDE operator and the driver. The official text can be consulted in theofficial gazette (Diário da República).
Requirements for drivers, today
- a category B driving licence held for more than 3 years, with a valid group 2 endorsement;
- a criminal record certificate for the purpose of being a TVDE driver (good standing);
- a road training course at a certified centre, lasting a minimum of 50 hours;
- a TVDE driver certificate (CMTVDE) issued by the IMT, valid for 5 years and renewable with continuing training;
- always working while registered with a TVDE operator, never on an isolated self-employed basis;
- a maximum of 10 hours of driving in each 24-hour period, adding up all platforms.
Requirements for vehicles, today
The vehicles used in the activity must be light passenger cars, with a maximum age of 7 years from first registration, insurance covering the activity, an up-to-date inspection and the TVDE identifying badge visible. They cannot use the BUS lanes or the taxi ranks, and the service can only be booked through the app, never picked up in the street.
Operators and platforms, today
The TVDE operator must be a company registered in Portugal (or a sole trader), with managers of good standing and a licence issued by the IMT. Electronic platforms need their own licence and the intermediation fee they charge is limited to 25% of the trip value. Dynamic pricing currently has a legal cap: the price cannot exceed double (100%) the average of the prices charged in the previous 72 hours.
Passengers' rights, today
The passenger has the right to know the price before the trip, to travel with a certified driver in a licensed vehicle, and, in the case of passengers with reduced mobility, to an adapted vehicle with a waiting time of under 15 minutes, extendable only up to 30 minutes in exceptional situations justified by the platform.
What will change
The revision approved in July 2026 profoundly changes this regime: training with an exam of 30 questions and a minimum mark of 27, a mandatory command of Portuguese, vehicles up to 10 years old (12 if electric), a tamper-proof anti-fraud badge, the end of the dynamic pricing cap, the 25% fee calculated on the value excluding VAT, a ban on comodato, taxis on the platforms and fines of up to 44,000 euros. It is all explained inthe new law, from parliament to the official gazette.